Sunny and Warm Spring Days

Spring Roses

Monday was the warmest day we've had so far this year, with an afternoon high of almost 80F.  I actually felt warm in the afternoon, sitting in the sunshine coming through the living room window, with the quilt spread on my lap as I repaired it!  LOL.   

I walked for 15 minutes up and down the driveway, watered some of the plants in the front garden and the newly planted loquats and tomato plants in the back garden, using water I had collected in buckets while waiting for the shower water to get warm and the rain water I managed to collect.  Then, I filled the green yard waste bin with some branches that M had trimmed.  I took the yard waste bin and the trash bin to the end of the driveway to be collected on Tuesday morning.  There are a few more trimmed branches to be put into the yard waste bin, but, they need to be cut down to fit into the bin.

I had leftovers from my Easter meals for lunch (the rest of the rice and curries) and dinner (the rice, fish, and cabbage salad from neighbor S).  

Tuesday was sunny, too, but a little cooler, with a high of 72F.  I brought the emptied trash bins in, then, set my timer for 15 minutes and walked up and down the driveway and on the sidewalk in front of my house and neighbor T's house.  I am comfortable walking this little bit without a mask; I could easily step back into my garden or neighbor T's garden should another person walk by and I wanted to put some distance between us.  If I walk any further down the sidewalk, to the end of the block, for example, I'd feel the need to wear a mask.  

I was checking my blog comments in the early afternoon, when my internet connection went down.  I tried to reset the connection, but, nothing happened.  So, I decided I'll wait until my daughter got off work and then, ask her what I should do.  In the meantime, I spent the afternoon repairing the quilt.  I usually watch some online videos while I repair the quilt, but, because I didn't have the internet to amuse me, I sang while I sewed.  

It was later, in the early evening, that I realized that the power was not working properly!  The microwave indicator light was on, but, the kitchen light didn't come on and the fridge light didn't come on when I opened the door.  The TV indicator light was on, but the family room ceiling light didn't come on.  The other small ceiling light fixture in the family room came on, but, the light was very, very dim!  I checked all the lights in the rooms and some of them didn't come on and those that did, had a very dim light!  I checked the fuse box, outside, to see if any fuses had gone off, but, everything was as it should be!  I was very confused!  The stove is gas, but, the automatic ignition needs electricity; I lit the stove with the lighter I had bought for the purpose, to boil the water to make my cup of tea in the evening. .  

I cleaned the litter box and swept my bathroom while there was still some natural light and I knitted for a bit.

I was just telling my daughter about the power situation when all the power went off and nothing was working!  Including the land line which I was using to talk with my daughter!  I looked across the street and my neighbors, who had their porch lights on earlier, had also lost their power!  Fortunately, I had a fully charged cell phone, so I called my daughter on that and explained what was going on.  She checked online and said that the power company had posted that there was a power outage in my area and they were working on fixing it.  I got off the phone with my daughter as I didn't want to run down my cell phone battery (my daughter is ordering me a phone charger to have as a back up, she said). 

Then, I gathered most of my candle holders and candles and set them up on the living room mantlepiece in readiness for the evening.  I had been considering decluttering some of my candle holders because I don't really use them on a daily basis, but, I now know that I will continue to keep them for just such an event!  I have flashlights (torches), as well, but, candles are better to provide some general light.  I don't have any battery operated candles, because then you have to make sure you have batteries for them,  but, I'm thinking it might be useful to have a few of them on hand, too.  Around 8:00 p.m., I lit the candles.  There were six candles and they provided a nice glow.  Dancer no longer jumps up on to the mantlepiece, so I don't have to worry about him knocking over any candles.

Around 8:30 p.m., the power was restored and I was very happy!  I put out the candles and turned on the lights!  The internet came back on once the power was restored and daughter and I were able to have our usual nightly video chat.  I also called friend R to check on her and see if she had a power outage, but, she said her power didn't go out.  

Brunch was an egg salad sandwich, using the hard boiled Easter egg that neighbor S had given me.  Dinner was some of the leftover Easter dinner that neighbor S had given me.  

I am grateful for:

- Electricity!
- Working appliances!
- Having internet connections!
- Phone services!
- A stash of candles and candle holders!  

Today's joyful activity was turning on all the lights to check them when the power was restored!  LOL.  

Plans for Wednesday include tending to the garden with M and doing a bit of housekeeping.

How prepared are you for power outages?  Do you have a generator?  Do you have flashlights and spare batteries?  How will you keep warm if the power goes out in winter?